


bits and pieces

by ohmyloki



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-16
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-05-27 03:21:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 8,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6267517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohmyloki/pseuds/ohmyloki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An (ongoing) collection of <em>Check, Please!</em> ficlets and drabbles. Mostly centered around Bitty/Jack. Rating liable to change!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hugs from Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> anonymous asked: jackbitty + hugs from behIND

Bitty hummed along with the music playing softly from the living room as he mashed another banana into the mixing bowl. The early morning sun filtered through the windows, casting everything in soft shades of gold and making Bitty feel even warmer—and fuzzier—than he thought possible.

His happiness was like a living thing, buzzing and incandescent in his veins. This, of course, was the reason he was halfway through mixing up batter at barely six in the morning. Once his eyes had opened and he found himself in Jack’s apartment, in Jack’s _bed_ , he knew there was no hope of sleep for the foreseeable future. He had slipped out from the arm laying across his chest and quietly padded into the kitchen. At least he could put his restless energy into something warm for Jack to eat after he woke up and went for his run.

He smiled to himself as he moved around the kitchen. It was still unfamiliar to him, but he allowed the hope to bloom in his chest that he would get to know it very well over the coming months.

Letting himself get lost in thoughts of what the future might bring, Bitty nearly upended his bowl of flour when a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist. He felt Jack’s lips press into the crook of his neck where the collar of his overlarge shirt had pulled to the side.

Bitty let go of his bowl and leaned back into Jack’s sleep-warm chest as he lay his hands over Jack’s.

“ _Bonjour_ ,” Jack mumbled into his neck, nearly making Bitty shiver.

“Mornin’.” Bitty said, tilting his head the tiniest bit.

Jack hummed into Bitty’s skin, giving him a small squeeze. Bitty, who had slept in his underwear and not bothered with pants that morning, felt the bare skin of Jack’s legs against the back of his own thighs—Jack must not have gotten dressed either. 

Bitty glanced up at the clock and looked at the top of Jack’s head from the corner of his eye.

“Shouldn’t you be out for your run right about now?” Bitty asked.

Jack inhaled deeply as if he was trying to memorize Bitty’s scent before lifting his head and pressing a kiss to Bitty’s hair.

“Usually, yeah.” He said, arms still firmly around Bitty.

“Usually?” Bitty asked.

“I can be persuaded to skip it… with the right reasons.” Jack said, his voice low.

Bitty’s breath hitched in his chest.

“What are you baking?” Jack asked.

Bitty cleared his throat.

“Banana oat muffins.” He said, his voice still a little unsteady.

“How much longer will you need?” Jack asked, leaning down again to run his mouth along the top of Bitty’s shoulder.

“Oh— _Lord_ —probably another twenty minutes or so.”

“Hmm.” Jack’s fingertips slid under Bitty’s shirt and stroked circles into the skin of his abdomen. “Do you think you could take a break first?”

“I could be persuaded,” Bitty said. “With the right reasons.”

He felt Jack grin into his shoulder.

“I think I can come up with a few,” Jack said.

“My ears are open, Mr. Zimmermann,” Bitty said.

Jack’s resulting laugh was reason enough alone for Bitty… but he was still interested in seeing what else Jack could come up with.


	2. first times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked: ZIMBITS' FIRST TIME FIRST TIME FIRST TIME

Jack, Bitty had figured out, seemed to live in a state of extremes. When faced with a situation or topic, he either didn’t care one bit or he would let it totally consume him. And, at the moment, the thing consuming Jack (much to Bitty’s own fervent delight) was Bitty himself.

If Bitty were to rate the physicality of his and Jack’s relationship on a scale, zero being the handful of rather chaste kisses they had shared at the Haus during graduation and one-hundred being his ankles hooked over Jack’s shoulders as the headboard tried to break itself to pieces against the wall, he would currently put Jack at a steady eighty-five pushing ninety.

Their days together in Madison had averaged around a ten, having been too nervous to take it much further—both due to Bitty’s parents’ constant presence and the newness of the situation itself. But now that Jack had Bitty alone in Providence, he seemed keen to make up for lost time. The moment Bitty had stepped into the bedroom, Jack had crowded him against the nearest vertical surface and kissed the breath right out of him. He very nearly devoured Bitty with the same methodical determination that he used on the ice, hitting all of Bitty’s hot spots as if he had planned it in advance (or maybe Bitty was just that desperate himself—Jack could probably kiss the bottom of his foot and he would feel the heat licking up his spine).

Suffice it to say, Bitty’s knees seemed to have some difficulty in supporting his own weight. Luckily for him, Jack had no problem maneuvering them to the large and sinfully soft bed behind them, shedding their clothes as they went.

Within fifteen minutes of entering the bedroom, they were both naked and panting, Jack pressing Bitty firmly into the bed, hips working in smooth and steady thrusts as they rubbed against each other. Bitty arched his back into the contact and moaned as Jack moved away from his mouth and grazed his teeth against the soft skin in the crook of Bitty’s neck.

Jack shifted until his weight rested on his elbow beneath Bitty’s shoulder, using his other arm to hook underneath Bitty’s knee and bring his leg up. Bitty moaned again (loudly) and couldn’t stop the words from leaving his mouth.

“Oh, god. Jack—Jack. Can you—I want you to—“

Jack stilled, breathing heavily against Bitty’s ear. After a moment he let go of Bitty’s leg and leaned back far enough that he could look into Bitty’s eyes. Jack was flushed from his cheeks all the way down to his chest and— _Lord_ —Bitty had never seen anything hotter.

“Have you ever—“ Jack began.

Bitty shook his head and Jack’s eyes darkened.

“Have you—“

“No, nothing—and don’t you dare chirp me about that, Zimmermann.”

Jack shook his head.

“I would never,” he said as he leaned down to nip at Bitty’s lips.

Bitty returned the kiss eagerly and before long they were back to thrusting against one another, chasing after something just out of their reach. After awhile, Jack slowed his kisses and broke away long enough for Bitty to speak again.

“Are we…”

Jack shook his head and ran his hand down Bitty’s ribs.

“Not tonight. It’s not something you just jump into with no experience, Bittle.”

Bitty frowned.

“Well, I’m sorry that I never—“

“Bittle. _Bitty.”_ Jack said, once again looking Bitty in the eyes. “I said not _tonight_. I want to, God do I want to, but we’ll have to work up to it.”

“Work up to it?” Bitty raised his eyebrows.

“Mmm,” Jack said, leaning down for another kiss before speaking. “It’s a good thing I have you here for awhile. It’s going to take a lot of… practice.” The final word was punctuated with the snap of Jack’s hips against his. Bitty let out a small whine, heat filling his belly at what Jack’s idea of practice might be.

“Okay,” Bitty said breathlessly. “I can—I can deal with that.”

Jack chuckled. “It’ll be hard work. Intense,” he said, his body moving again. “But I promise it’ll be worth it.”

“Oh, God.”

“It might take awhile, though. I’ll have to be _very_ thorough.”

“Jack,” Bitty’s voice cracked on the word. “You keep talkin’ like that and this will be over real soon.”

Jack grinned and reached between them, his grip firm and merciless.

“Oh, Lord.”

Jack quit speaking then and so did Bitty. It seemed neither of them were able to form complete sentences, though the room remained anything but quiet.


	3. bitty goes golfing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> icosahedonist asked: Bitty, in the spirit of "support what your boyfriend likes", goes golfing with Jack and Ransom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My mind totally skipped over the 'Ransom' aspect and I'm terribly sorry about that D:

Bitty knows next to nothing about golf and, to be honest, he can’t say he wants to learn. But he and Jack are visiting Montreal while Bitty’s out of class for the summer and Jack has talked him into going to a driving range under the pretext of teaching Bitty how to at least hit a golf ball. They get there and Jack walks him through some of the fundamentals first, demonstrating the proper stance and swing and when it’s Bitty’s turn, Jack sidles up behind him. He presses his chest snug against Bitty’s back and reaches his arms around to circle Bitty as Jack puts his hands over Bitty’s on the club. Jack bends them over slightly and opens up their stance and by the time Jack’s finished arranging them into proper position, Bitty’s face is flushed and he had goosebumps all over his body. **  
**

The range itself is small and out in the middle of nowhere and at the moment they’re all alone in the enclosure. Suffice it to say, after the first swing, and with the way Bitty’s body is feeling lit up like the Fourth of July, they don’t get in much practice. They jump apart nearly an hour later when they hear footsteps echoing outside of the building, panting and red-faced. Without speaking, they quickly pack up their things in favor of finding a more private location.

Even though Bitty considers it an auspicious lesson, he didn’t really learn much about golf itself so he doesn’t quite understand the circumstances that lead up to him hanging out on a golf course with “Bad” Bob Zimmermann and a couple of frighteningly famous former hockey players. He’s pretty sure it has something to do with the way Jack’s muscles strain the elastic in the sleeves of his polo, though. Not to mention the way Jack’s behind looks in those khakis.

He’s there, though, and since the sum total of his golf knowledge amounts to:

  1. How to properly hold a golf club and
  2. How the walls separating the stalls in the driving range feel against his back



He’s opted to be a spectator, spending most of his time watching, making idle chitchat, and offering up some of the snacks he brought along in an extremely well packed bag.

Bitty manages to pay attention during the first few holes, trying to glean as much information as he can from the conversations the players are having because he knows how much Jack likes golfing, but it’s just _so_ boring. It’s worse than one of the lectures he’d taken back at Samwell where his prof did a better impression of a robot than Jack could ever hope to achieve. It’s warm out, too. The sun is shining down on them in a cloudless sky and Bitty’s already had a couple of beers just to pass the time so when they pull up to a new hole to tee off, it’s not terribly surprising that Bitty falls asleep right there in the golf cart he’s been sharing with Jack.

There’s a light pressure on his jaw, trailing down to his shoulder.

“Bittle.”

Bitty frowns.

“Bits. Wake up.” Jack’s voice is soft and happy.

Bitty opens his eyes to Jack’s amused expression, his own clear blue eyes crinkling as he watches Bitty wake up.

“Oh, Lord. I’m so sorry–” Bitty begins.

Jack smiles and slides onto the seat next to Bitty, shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it.”

Bitty glances around and sees that they’re alone. “I didn’t hold anyone up, did I?”

“Nah,” Jack says. “They took the other cart and went ahead without us.”

Bitty tries unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. He looks at Jack a little bashful. “I am sorry, though. Fallin’ asleep like that is just rude. I guess golf really isn’t my thing.”

Jack laughs. “No, I don’t think it is,” he says as he watches Bitty. His eyes go soft. “But I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the fact that you even tried.”

Bitty feels his face heat and it has nothing to do with the sun. It’s his automatic response to Jack’s surprising bouts of frank sincerity.

“Well,” Bitty hedges. “There have been some perks.”

Jack lifts an eyebrow, smothering a grin. “Are you talking about my ass?”

“If the Under Armour fits.”

Jack laughs and puts his arm around Bitty’s shoulder and Bitty leans into him. “What do you say we head back? Maybe take a nap before trying anything else today?”

Bitty makes a disgruntled noise. “No, I’m fine, let’s finish up here. I promise to stay awake this time. Besides, we’re almost done, right?”

“Bits, they’re just starting the back nine.”

“Lord,” Bitty’s lets his head fall back onto Jack’s shoulder. “Are you telling me they’re only halfway through?”

“Come on,” Jack chuckles. “I can play golf with my dad anytime. I’d rather spend time with you while I have you here.”

“Aw, _Jack_.”


	4. Jack has been trying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack doesn’t know much about Bitty’s past.

Jack doesn’t know much about Bitty’s past. Not yet. But there’s plenty of time for them to learn about each other. An endless future stretched out in front of them where they can learn each others smooth curves and rough edges, memorize the way emotions play across their faces, learn what makes each other laugh and cry… They have so much time that it makes Jack’s chest ache when he thinks about it. He’s pretty confident the sentiment is returned.

They speak often. On the phone, over Skype, through text, and yet… there’s still so much about Bitty that Jack doesn’t know. But, God, does he want to learn. Every conversation, every meeting it feels like he discovers something new about Bitty, something that makes him fall just just a little bit further. At this point it feels like he’ll never stop falling, like he jumped off a cliff in May and still can’t see where he’ll end up and while that feeling used to terrify Jack, now he’s just excited about the journey. It’s still frightening in it’s own way, it’s scary as hell, but it’s warm and loose inside of his chest instead of the cold, clawing, suffocation from years ago.

They speak often and Jack learns more and more and yet Bitty keeps surprising him with all the things Jack doesn’t know. But the thing that surprises Jack the most, and the thing that he almost wishes he didn’t know about, is the crinkle that appears on Bitty’s nose, right between his eyebrows.

Jack has been trying. Ever since graduation, Jack has been trying to be more open. About his thoughts, about his feelings, about everything. He’s still taking baby steps and it’s been rough (and extremely awkward for both him and those subjected to Jack stammering his way through his emotions whenever he’s been able to gather the courage to try) but mostly it’s been okay. He feels lighter these days, for all that he’s still hiding parts of himself away from the world. He feels better after he speaks.

It makes sense that a large part of Jack’s new outlook on life involves Bitty. Neither of them have dropped the L-word yet, though he’s sure it’s simmering beneath the surface for both of them, but Jack tries to let Bitty know just how much Bitty means to him, how much he’s changed Jack’s life just by mere presence alone.

It’s not until they’re together in person that he notices the way Bitty’s nose crinkles just slightly every time Jack says something like, “You’re amazing” or “What did I do to deserve you?”. His nose crinkles like he can’t believe that Jack could possibly feel that way about him. That anyone could feel that way about him. It fractures Jack’s heart a little bit each time, but it also strengthens his resolve.

So, Jack doesn’t know much about Bitty’s past, though he can infer. He doesn’t know what caused Bitty to feel less-than. But what Jack does know is that they have an endless stretch of future in front of them and Jack will keep right on telling Bitty exactly what he means to Jack until that wrinkle fades away into nothing.

And then Jack will keep right on doing it simply because he wants to.


	5. jack wins the stanley cup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> anonymous asked: A zimbits prompt, bitty in the stands watching jack win his first stanley cup could be happy celebratory fluff or could lead to some celebratory drunken smut?

They have a plan.

Jack’s going to come out after the playoffs, win or lose. They’re giving it a month after the final game to make sure they don’t overshadow the winners who actually deserve the limelight, but everything is ready to go. Bitty came out to his parents over winter break, Jack picked him up from the airport and drove him back to Samwell to tell the team once the semester started up again, and there’s a statement that’s been written up and revised repeatedly until both Jack and Bitty were satisfied. Everything is ready to go. 

Jack’s even been attending late afternoon training with the PR team in preparation for the press conference that will follow a week after the statement. Half the time, when he can make it, Bitty joins via Skype. To no one’s surprise, he takes to it like a duck to water, repeating scripted answers in a way that sounds genuine and spur-of-the-moment while Jack still sounds (and sometimes looks) like he’s reading from cue cards.

The idea of it all stills terrifies Jack… but having a plan makes it easier. And when Jack finds himself gasping for air in the middle of the night, he calls Bitty (”Sweetheart. I don’t care if you wake me up, I promise I’ll answer. Let me help.”) and realizes that even better than having a plan is the fact that Jack’s not alone in this. What’s better than everything, really, is having Bitty.

* * *

 

They’re in game 5 of the finals. They’ve got three wins under their belt and there’s twenty seconds left in the third period of a 1-1 game.

When they came up with the plan to come out after the playoffs, Jack had been mostly concerned with overshadowing another team’s success. But under the bright lights and the roar of the crowd, he watches as the puck skids towards him and realizes it might be their win, _their success_.

Time slows down. In the split second before the puck hits Jack’s stick, he sees a lane open up wide. He doesn’t think before he twists his wrists, sending the puck sailing. He’s checked into the boards and the players ruin his line of sight so he can’t tell what’s happening, but suddenly the crowd is louder than he thought possible and the horn is blaring.

Time speeds back up, he’s slammed into the boards over and over by members of his team as they skate over, grinning wildly. They’re all shouting, knocking heads together as they go in for hugs, and Jack feels like he might float right up off the ice.

The final few seconds of the game pass by in a blur and when the clock hits zero and they’re still up 2-1, the building feels like it’s going to shake to pieces from the noise. Jack’s eyes immediately search the crowd and he sees Bitty, face flushed, jumping up and down with Shitty and Lardo, all of them smiling and looking so intensely proud that it makes Jack’s chest hurt.

It’s all he can think about as he’s hugging his team, it rattles around in his mind as he shakes the other team’s hands, and, when a camera is shoved into his face, Jack doesn’t know what he says but he knows that his thoughts are still on Bitty. He thinks about their Skype sessions, about late night phone calls. He’s thinking about every time Bitty has said ‘I’m so proud of you.’ He thinks about how Bitty might have made him a better hockey player at Samwell but now he makes Jack a better person overall.

Jack thinks that, yeah, maybe he’d still be here without Bitty, but he’s so, so glad he doesn’t have to find that out.

The reporter moves on and Jack’s skating away before he realizes he’s made a decision. He watches as Bitty’s eyes widen as Jack skates towards him, his grin dropping off his face in favor of shock. Jack stops by the opening where friends and families are streaming onto the ice and he looks up at Bitty and raises his eyebrows in question. 

Shitty and Lardo are pushing at Bitty’s shoulder, Jack can see them saying, ‘go, GO!’ to him, but he’s not moving. Jack wont push for it, he’s willing to skate back to his team if Bitty isn’t ready for this, but he nods at Bitty in encouragement.

A smile brighter than anything else in the arena breaks across Bitty’s face and he disappears as he joins the flow of people heading for the ice. He spots the blond hair as Bitty weaves through the crowd and then there he is, standing right in front of Jack, Jack’s skates putting him at too awkward of a height to easily do what he wants.

Jack doesn’t even think before he reaches out, pulling Bitty towards him. Bitty moves effortlessly right into Jack’s arms, wrapping his legs around Jack’s waist as he’s lifted up. And then they’re kissing.

Jack thinks it’s better than any celly he’s ever had before.

The kisses taper off until they’re pressing their foreheads together and simply breathing each other’s air, unable to stop smiling. Jack can’t believe that this is his life.

Eventually, of course, Jack lets Bitty slide back down to the ground. He trails his hand up Bitty’s side and then down his arm until he can entwine their fingers together.

“Come on.” Jack says, pulling him towards the celebration.

They had a plan, Jack thinks, but having Bitty next to him is better.


	6. bitty says thanks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous: Bitty/Zimms prompt: jack and bitty skyping while jack is on a road trip with his professional team , bitty could be filling him in on all the happenings at campus and the haus or maybe jack's team lost and bitty is working to cheer him up?

“–and everyone’s finally all moved in so we’re going to have a Haus dinner late tonight.” Bitty said.

They had already been talking for nearly an hour. Or, rather, Bitty had been talking and Jack had been pleased just to listen to the sound of his voice as he got caught up on all-things-Samwell. Not that he wanted to end the Skype call but it _was_ starting to get late, especially if Bitty was still planning on making enough food to feed an army.

Jack conveyed his concern and Bitty smiled at him.

“You’re probably right, but…” Bitty trailed off, glancing off to his left.

“But…” Jack prompted.

Bitty disappeared off screen for a few seconds before settling down onto his bed again.

“But I got started thinkin’ about that fancy new oven downstairs. And then I started wonderin’ if I had ever thanked you–”

“Of course you did. I definitely remember a few thanks yous when you were crying into my shirt.” Jack chirped, a little confused.

“Properly, I mean.” Bitty said.

Jack raised his eyebrows at the screen.

“What do you–” His voice cut off abruptly as Bitty removed his shirt.

His hand flew up to his ear to check his headphones, eyes flickering over to Matt, his teammate who was rooming with him while they were in Seattle. Matt sat on his own bed, fiddling with his phone, apparently completely unaware of the situation stirring in Jack’s shorts.

Jack tried to turn the screen casually, trying to make sure Matt wouldn’t catch a glimpse of something not meant for his eyes. Bitty smiled like he knew exactly what was happening. Jack cleared his throat.

“Bitty…” He warned.

“Now, you hush. You don’t have to do anything but watch.” Bitty said, delicate fingers already working on the zip of his jeans. Jack’s jaw clenched as he watched Bitty slide the material down his thighs. 

They had never done this before. They had only seen each other in person a handful of times over the summer–thoroughly enjoying each other’s presence, of course–but their phone calls and Skype sessions had always been more or less PG-13, maybe sometimes skirting R with text messages. Neither of them were brave enough to take it much further.

At least until now, it seemed.

Jack watched as Bitty tossed his jeans off of the bed and sat up on his knees, giving the camera a spectacular view of the bulge hidden under the thin red boxer-briefs. Jack turned a groan into a cough and felt his face flush red.

“Now, Jack. You’d better be quiet. Wouldn’t want your roomie knowing what kind of naughty things you’re looking at,” Bitty said. Jack couldn’t see his face at the moment but he could picture the dirty grin on his face. 

Despite his relative inexperience, and much to Jack’s surprise, Bitty had taken to seducing Jack like a duck to water. Or maybe Jack was just incredibly, embarrassingly easy when it came to Bitty. The coy looks and small smiles he used on Jack were incredibly effective.

Bitty’s fingers played along the waistband of his underwear, hooking a thumb under the elastic and pulling it out slightly, letting it snap back into place. Jack was sure he was breathing harder than he should be and it had to be obvious what he was up to–

“Hey, Zimmermann.”

Jack’s head whipped to the side so fast he nearly lost an earbud. He looked over at Matt who now stood next to the door of the room. He tried to school his face into a normal, curious expression as he took out the headphones and raised his eyebrows in question.

“I’m gonna meet up with some of the guys downtown–wanna come?” Matt asked, as he shrugged on a jacket.

“Um,” Jack’s voice cracked. He cleared his throat. “No–no. Not tonight. There’s some stuff–some things I need to–uh–take care of.”

Matt’s eyes widened and he took a step back towards the room.

“You okay, man?”

“Oh. Yeah. Sure, I’m fine. Just–you know. Tired, eh? Go ahead, I’ll see you later.”

Matt stared at him, eyes flickering to the laptop in Jack’s lap, before going back to Jack’s face. He was clearly fighting back a grin.

“Sure thing. Don’t wait up for me,” he said. Jack nodded.

When he was gone and the coast was clear, Jack put the earbuds back in and looked at the screen where Bitty was laying on the bed… laughing. 

Tears rolled down Bitty’s cheeks as his body shook with glee.

“Oh, Jack. Oh my gosh. You should’ve seen your _face_!” 

“I’m glad you found that so amusing,” Jack said with his most unimpressed voice.

“Oh, Lord,” Bitty said. He sat up again and wiped at his cheek. “I’m sorry, but–wow. I wish I could have grabbed a screencap of that.”

Jack frowned.

“And now it’s entirely your fault that my teammate thinks I was watching porn while he was in the room, you know,” he said.

Bitty snorted out a laugh. 

“I’m so sorry,” he said, taking a few deep breaths to calm down. He flashed Jack a coy look. “What can I do to make it up to you?”

“I have an idea or two,” Jack said.

Bitty grinned and got back up on his knees. 

“Right. Now… where was I?”


	7. no shave november

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> icosahedonist: Zimbits prompt: how does Bitty react to Jack's Movember 'stache?

Shitty walks in the door first and bee-lines straight for Bitty, wrapping him up in a tight hug and nearly lifting him up off the floor.

“Two words for you, Bits,” he says quietly into Bitty’s ear. “Mustache. Ride.”

Bitty’s cheeks flame and his eyes flick down to Shitty’s mustache before looking back up. “Sorry, what did you just say?” He asks.

Shitty winks but quickly moves around him already looking for Lardo, who’s busy kicking Chowder’s ass at Mario Kart in the other room. Bitty watches him go with no small amount of confusion until he hears footsteps behind him in the kitchen.

Bitty turns around, grin already forming on his lips, ready to greet Jack with enthusiasm—

“Wow.” Bitty says and then claps a hand over his mouth, shocked at his own rudeness.

“Like it that much, eh?” The mustache asks.

Bitty tears his eyes away from the hair to meet Jack’s gaze.

“Oh, Lord,” Bitty says. “I am so sorry—I didn’t—it—you just surprised me, that’s all.”

Jack grins and approaches him, cupping Bitty’s cheek, his bright blue eyes shining in a way that always makes Bitty’s heart fumble for its next beat. Jack seems to be waiting for something, though, and Bitty rolls his eyes.

“Get over here, mister,” He says before pulling Jack down into a long kiss.

When they part, Bitty touches his own upper lip and then runs a thumb along Jack’s mustache.

“That was… interesting,” he says.

“It’s just for the month,” Jack assures him. “Next time you see me, it’ll be back to normal.”

“Well, so long as it’s for a good cause.” Bitty says, nodding approval.

Jack pulls him into a hug and Bitty revels in the feel of Jack’s body against his, strong and hard. His mind wanders and he considers the prickly and interesting way the mustache had felt against his skin. He feels his face flushing as he speaks.

“But seeing as it’s there now,” he begins, resting his head on Jack’s chest. “Shitty did say something interesting on his way in.”


	8. jack and bitty go to the movies

Jack buys the tickets but Bitty insists on buying the popcorn. It’s an action film, not something that either of them are particularly interested in, but the idea of doing something as mundane as going to a movie is appealing… Like it could be a real date. Like they aren’t both currently working to keep their relationship hidden. Like they aren’t both actively trying to hide their happiness from their friends.

It’s nice, Bitty thinks. He munches idly on his popcorn as he watches the movie, enjoying the warmth of Jack’s body next to his. Every once in awhile their hands brush in the bag and even that small touch still manages to send a small thrill up Bitty’s spine.

They’re about a third of the way through the movie when the atmosphere between them shifts. Jack is suddenly tense and Bitty, for the life of him, can’t pinpoint why. Out of the corner of his eye, Bitty watches as Jack shifts around in his seat and glances around the movie theater.

Bitty warms. For a few seconds, he thinks he’s about to make out with his boyfriend in a movie theater like the stereotypical high schooler he never got to be. It’s kind of exciting.

But then Jack yawns.

It’s… incredibly fake. He inhales deeply and stretches his arms above his head, letting out a soft little sigh. And then his arm comes back down around Bitty’s shoulder, casually slung over the back of Bitty’s seat.

Bitty has to turn his head away and press his fingers against his lips to stop himself from laughing at the ridiculous, endearing boy sitting next to him. When Bitty turns back and looks at him, Jack’s eyes are still on the screen but there’s a smug little smile on his lips.

' _This is the man I’ve fallen in love with_ ,' Bitty thinks as he smiles to himself and lets his head rest on Jack’s shoulder.

It could be worse, he supposes.


	9. jack sometimes wonders if it’s worth it

Jack sometimes wonders if it’s worth it. They don’t get to see each other often, and the times when their schedules align and they’re both in the area for the weekend, Jack still has responsibilities to the team to take care of. Things he _has_ to do, all the while knowing that Bitty is waiting for him back in his apartment just to spend a few hours together before he’ll have to head back to Samwell. 

Every time they have to go their separate ways, it’s a little bit harder, a little bit more painful. No amount of texting, phone calls, or nightly Skype sessions will ever make up for the ability to reach out and touch, the ability to feel Bitty’s soft skin under his fingers, the ability to feel Bitty’s warmth.

So, in his darker moments, when they haven’t seen each other in weeks and there’s a pressure building, building, building inside Jack’s chest, he thinks, ‘is this worth it?’

It’s been seven weeks since Jack last saw Bitty, their longest separation yet. Jack has been away all day, attending meetings, giving interviews, shooting promos… and every single one of them has gone over schedule, every extra second a painful heartbeat in Jack’s chest. 

It’s well after midnight by the time he’s released. He jogs out to his car and pushes the speed limit in his desperation to get home and reclaim those precious few moments he’s already lost, the ones leaving painful bruises on his heart.

He gets home, slides his key in the lock, pushes the door open, apology ready on his lips–and stops moving.

Bitty’s fast asleep on the couch.

The TV is droning on in the background and his phone is precariously balanced in his hand, his relaxed fingers barely keeping it from slipping to the floor. It’s a full minute before Jack finds the ability to move, so struck by the image of Bitty sitting there asleep, having tried to wait up for him to come home.

Jack crouches in front of Bitty and carefully extracts the phone, putting it in his pocket. He reaches out and takes Bitty’s hand in his own, rubbing circles into the skin with his thumb.

“Bitty,” he whispers. 

Bitty doesn’t stir.

“Bits,” he tries. 

A crease forms between Bitty’s eyebrows but he continues sleeping.

Jack smiles to himself and releases Bitty’s hand. He stands up and bends, pressing a kiss to Bitty’s forehead, brushing a hand through the soft blond hair.

“Come on, Bits.” He whispers as he slides an arm under Bitty’s knees and one around his shoulder. “Let’s get you to bed.”

Bitty wakes up a little when Jack starts lifting him, aware enough to wrap his arms around Jack’s neck, burying his face in the skin near Jack’s collar and making a small snuffling sound.

“ _Mmm, no_ ,” Bitty says. “I wanted to spend time with you.”

Jack chuckles. “There’s always tomorrow,” he says.

Bitty hums in response. “I could get used to this,” he says. Jack agrees.

He can’t wait for the day when he will no longer remember what it was like to live without Bitty, where he wakes up to Bitty’s amazing bedhead and sleep-soft eyes every morning. He can’t wait for the time where seeing Bitty will no longer be a special occasion but will instead be routine, an every day gift.

As Jack lays Bitty down in his bed, watches as Bitty burrows into Jack’s sheets, under Jack’s blankets, into Jack’s life like he’s always belonged there, Jack’s heart swells and he thinks, ‘Yes… this is worth it.’


	10. Coach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack goes to Canada for Christmas and Bitty goes to Georgia. There’s discussion on spending the holiday together next year but for now they fly their separate ways, content with the knowledge that they’ll both be in Providence for New Years.

Jack goes to Canada for Christmas and Bitty goes to Georgia. There’s discussion on spending the holiday together next year but for now they fly their separate ways, content with the knowledge that they’ll both be in Providence for New Years.

It’s fine, they’re both used to the distance and they make up for it with phone calls and texts and they keep up their nightly Skype sessions… only Bitty doesn’t have class and Jack has a few days off so the second night Bitty’s back home, he’s sitting in front of his computer until 2AM because neither of them can bring themselves to say goodbye.

Bitty blames this, and the lack of caffeine, for what happens the next morning.

He shuffles into the kitchen far more tired than he has any right to be considering he had said goodnight to his parents at 10PM, claiming he couldn’t keep his eyes open. Coach is already sitting at the table silently reading his morning paper, a steaming mug of coffee in front of him. 

Bitty bee-lines for the coffee maker and stifles a groan when he sees it’s empty. He starts another pot and pours himself a bowl of cereal, unable to muster up the energy for anything complicated. Waiting for the coffee to percolate, he sits down at the table to eat. Milk sloshes over the side of the bowl.

Coach glances over at him and flicks his paper before going back to reading. Bitty reaches over for the napkins at the center of the table.

“How’s that boyfriend treating you?” Coach asks mildly.

“Oh, gosh. Jack is great–” Bitty stops, arm extended across the table as he realizes that _he just came out to Coach_. 

He’s not sure how long he sits like that, awkwardly frozen in place as his brain stutters and jerks its way through some kind of rebooting process, blissfully unaware of the way Coach’s mustache is twitching like he’s trying to hide a smile. 

When he comes back to himself, Bitty grabs the napkin and clears his throat.

“Good,” Bitty says, voice as calm as he can manage. “He treats me real good.”

Coach nods, not looking away from his paper. When nothing else is said, Bitty starts eating his cereal. 

Coach breaks the silence thirty seconds later.

“Be sure to tell him about that rifle I got out back,” he says. 

Bitty nearly chokes, “ _Coach!_ ” 

“–in case he wants to go huntin’ the next time he visits.” 

Bitty stares, eyes burning a little at the implicit invitation for Jack to come stay with them again.

“Right,” Bitty says after a moment. “I’ll do that.”

“And Junior?”

“Yes, Coach?”

“You’re the one telling your mother.”


	11. gift-giving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> polliniaa asked: Fluff tropes! #20 for Zimbits please :)
> 
> 20) Gift-giving

Jack comes home to the soft sound of Bitty’s music, the mouth-watering smell of dinner, and lit candles he didn’t even know he owned.

It’s so different from the silence and emptiness Jack normally finds when he opens his door that he freezes for a second, taking it all in, before he closes the door and shrugs off his coat. 

Bitty’s just setting the table as Jack walks in and he looks up and smiles. 

Jack’s smiling too. It’s reflex by now, he can’t help but smile around Bitty.

Without a thought, he walks over and helps Bitty finish setting the table and then follows him into the kitchen, waiting for Bitty to tell him how he can help next. 

When they’re finally sitting at the table, ready to eat, Jack takes notice of a few things he hadn’t given much thought to before.

Bitty’s music, normally upbeat and something he can dance around the kitchen to, is slower but still happy. The lights in Jack’s apartment have been dimmed or turned off completely, their table lit only by candlelight. Bitty’s even dressed a little nicer than usual. 

It’s all very romantic, Jack thinks. He would worry he forgot an anniversary but he’s got every one of those marked in his calendar and their next one isn’t for another couple of weeks. It’s clearly nothing to worry about, Bitty wouldn’t go through all this trouble just to break up with him, so Jack lets his concern float away as they begin to eat.

They talk and laugh their way through dinner and after a glass of wine, Bitty’s cheeks get a little flush and Jack can’t stop staring. 

By dessert, Bitty’s biting his lip and giving Jack the coy little looks that drives him crazy.

Halfway through dessert, there’s a small lull in conversation and Bitty clears his throat, sits up straight, and looks at Jack with a serious expression.

“I, uh–” Bitty starts. He pauses and takes a deep breath. “I have something for you.”

Jack tilts his head and watches as Bitty’s blush deepens.

“You’re probably going to think it’s silly, but it means a lot to me.” Bitty says, meeting Jack’s gaze. “It means a lot to me–and so do you. So I think you should have it, if you want it.”

Jack’s eyebrows go up and his heart skips a beat in his chest as Bitty ducks under the table, searching for something. When he comes back up and sets a large gift bag on the table, Jack exhales. 

He doesn’t know what he was expecting–no, that’s a lie. Jack takes a steadying breath and lets himself acknowledge the fact that for a split second Jack literally thought Bitty was about to propose to him after a little over seven months of dating.

He also lets himself acknowledge the fact that there wasn’t even a question in his mind regarding an answer. He may have, if only for a split second, briefly thought about how nice the pond in his parent’s backyard would look frozen over, with a simple white arch in the center of it.

It’s too soon, Jack knows. But he also knows that this is it for him, this is what he wants, and whenever Bitty is ready… Jack will be right there waiting for him.

He sees Bitty shift and Jack realizes that he’s been quiet for too long, Bitty blissfully unaware that he’s already planning their wedding in his head.

Jack smiles at him and take the bag, and gently pulls out the tissue paper before reaching in and pulling out a–

“It’s my first pie pan.” Bitty says. 

Jack turns it over in his hands, looking at the dented sides, the slight scorch mark on the bottom. He runs his fingers along the lip of the pan.

“Um. It’s nothing special or fancy, and obviously you can just go out and buy a better one, Lord knows you can afford it, but this one–it–it was my first? And, um, well, I just thought you should have it. For your apartment.” Bitty says like he’s suddenly questioning the whole thing.

Jack thinks back to his Falconers home opener. The way Bitty had looked up at him in the locker room when Jack had given him the game-winning puck. He remembers the way he felt, his intense need to give Bitty the puck, so he would knows just how much he means to Jack.

‘ _Oh_ ,’ Jack thinks.

He looks at Bitty and carefully sets the pan down. He gets up and walks around the table and sinks to his knees in front of Bitty. Bitty’s eyes widen.

Jack reaches up and cups Bitty’s jaw, his thumb running along Bitty’s cheekbone as he looks into those beautiful brown eyes.

“It’s perfect,” Jack says and leans in and brushes their lips together.

Bitty responds immediately, moving his legs so Jack can shift closer, threading his fingers through the hair on the back of Jack’s head, and clutching desperately at Jack’s shoulder.

When they break apart, Jack rests his forehead on Bitty’s.

“Thank you,” he says. “I love it. I love you.”

Bitty’s answering smile is blinding. 

Jack leans back in to taste it.


	12. wearing the other's sweater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> brightki: Fluffy Tropes! Zimbits; 15) Blanket forts and/or 27) Wearing the other’s sweater

It’s almost 2:30 in the morning when the hotel’s fire alarm goes off. Jack jerks awake mid-REM cycle and stumbles out of bed. He lists awkwardly to the side as he shoves his feet into his shoes, grabbing a shirt from his open suitcase as he heads for the door.

His teammates are already out in the hall in various states of undress (’ _please, someone, for the love of god, get Tater a towel to cover up with’_ ). Jack, in his disoriented state, fumbles with the shirt he grabbed, trying to thread his arms through the sleeves.

It takes him about thirty seconds of clumsily wrestling with the shirt before he realizes that everyone else has gone quiet.

And they’re staring.

Jack looks at everyone, confused, and then looks at Tater imploringly.

Tater laughs loudly. “Zimbonni! Your shirt!”

Jack looks down at where the shirt–a cardigan, he sees now–is stuck, stretched hopelessly around his left bicep.

“Oh.” Jack feels his face heat. “There must have been a… mix-up with my laundry.”

Tater looks at him with a wide smile and a knowing glint in his eyes. “Yes. Much too small for you. That is meant for itty bitty man.”

“Haha, yeah, I guess so,” Jack says, flushing even brighter. He pulls the sweater off his arm and folds it up as casually as possible.

Luckily, Poots yells at Tater to find some damn underwear, and the sweater is quickly forgotten.

* * *

After the alarm has been cleared, Jack goes back into his room. He grabs his phone and sends out a text.

‘ _You left something in my hamper last weekend._ ’

Jack shakes his head when he gets a reply almost immediately.

‘ _???_ ’

‘ _It’s 3 in the morning. Shouldn’t you be asleep?_ ’ He sends back.

He waits for a minute with no reply back before grabbing the sweater and his phone and heading into the bathroom. Now that he’s slightly more awake, he manages to get it nearly up to his shoulders before the seams threaten to rip open and he manages to button just one button across his waist. It’s certainly an interesting sight.

He snaps a photo of his torso, bare under the straining fabric, the top part of his head cut off, and sends it to Bitty. His phone buzzes right away.


	13. falling asleep on skype

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> anonymous: Jack and bitty falling asleep on skype together. that is all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an issue where I receive a prompt and I do pretty much exactly the opposite of what's been asked for D: I'm so sorry.
> 
> (technically this can be read as part of [this universe](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6267517/chapters/15100057) as well, but can be read without it!)

Jack doesn’t get back to his apartment until close to three in the morning. They won. They played hard but clean and Jack himself performed admirably. He had nothing to be ashamed of and had even gone out for a couple of drinks with some of the guys afterward. 

It doesn’t seem to matter, though. Jack feels a weight settle on his chest as he gets a ride back to his apartment. One that just gets heavier and heavier until he no longer feels like he can breath. His hands might be steady but he feels like he’s going to vibrate out of his skin. 

His apartment is too large and too empty and his bedroom is too quiet and he knows it will pass, it always passes, but right now he doesn’t feel like it’s possible. He feels like he’s going to be stuck like this for the rest of his life, every breath just makes him feel like he needs more air, like he can’t get enough. Maybe, maybe if he wasn’t alone, maybe if he could just–

But there’s no way Bitty is awake. He’s got an early class in the morning and Jack can’t do that to him, Jack can’t make his problems Bitty’s problem, not when he’s already got so much going on.

Jack looks at the laptop sitting on his desk and then looks down at the phone clenched in his fist. Clear as day, he hears Bitty’s voice in his mind.

_“Sweetheart. I don’t care if you wake me up, I promise I’ll answer. Let me help.”_

Jack grabs the laptop and goes back to the bed, setting it on the pillow next to him. Before he can second guess himself, he unlocks his phone and taps on Bitty’s name where it sits on the top of his list. 

He holds his breath and counts as he listens to it ring. Bitty’s voicemail always picks up right after the eighth. Jack’s up to seven, his chest squeezing painfully, before it cuts off.

“’Lo?” Bitty asks. His voice is soft and full of sleep and it feels like a warm blanket settling over Jack and all he can do is say Bitty’s name in response.

“Sweetheart?” Bitty asks, sounding worried and more alert. “Is something wrong?”

“No, no. I’m fine,” Jack lies. “I just–I just wanted to hear your voice.”

Bitty hums and Jack can hear him shifting around in his bed. There’s no way Bitty believes him–it’s the middle of the night, why would Jack be calling if he was okay–but he doesn’t push.

“Well, here it is,” Bitty says. “Is there somethin’ special you’d like me to say?”

“Oh, no… you don’t have to–I’m so sorry, I know you have to get up in a few hours, so this was more than enough–”

“Jack,” Bitty says. It’s gentle, but firm. “Tell me what you want, please. Tell me what I can do for you.”

Jack’s cheeks heat and he’s silent, clenching and unclenching his free hand. Bitty still doesn’t push, listening and waiting patiently as Jack sorts it out for himself.

“Can you just… keep me company?” Jack asks nearly a minute later. His voice sounds small and pathetic even to himself.

“Of course, honey.” Bitty’s voice is gentle, knowing exactly what Jack is asking for. “Skype?”

“Yeah–yeah.” Jack says. “That would be… good.”

Fifteen minutes later, Jack’s computer is still on his pillow and he watches as Bitty’s long eyelashes flutter as he sleeps. He takes a deep breath and grabs his book from the nightstand.

Jack himself doesn’t sleep that night, but the bright light of the computer and the soft sound of Bitty’s light snore is enough to stave off the loneliness. The next day will be rough, but he’ll get through it, he can feel the light at the end of the tunnel.

Jack knows that Bitty can’t fix him–though Bitty would argue that nothing was broken to begin with–but he wishes Bitty knew just how much he helps all the same.

**Author's Note:**

> come see/prompt/talk to/yell at me on [tumblr](http://bootycap.tumblr.com)!


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